The trace conjecture -- a counterexample (Q1306917)

We cite from the abstract: ``In the paper ``Geometric \(K\)-theory for Lie groups and foliations'' [Preprint, Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci., Paris (1982)], \textit{P. Baum} and \textit{A. Connes} conjecture in a remark that for a finitely generated group \(\Gamma\) with torsion the trace map \(tr:K_0 (C^*(\Gamma)) \to\mathbb{R}\) maps \(K_0(C^*(\Gamma))\) onto the additive subgroup of \(\mathbb{Q}\) generated by all rational numbers of the form \({1\over n}\) where \(n\) is the order of a finite subgroup of \(\Gamma\). We construct a counterexample to this conjecture.'' The counterexample is the following: Let \(M^4\) be an aspherical four-manifold with effective action of the finite group \(G=\mathbb{Z}/3 \mathbb{Z} \times\mathbb{Z}/ 3\mathbb{Z}\), obtained by applying the Davis-Januskiewicz hyperbolization technique \(G\)-equivariantly to a hypersurface in \(\mathbb{C} P^3\). Then there is a canonical group extension \[ 1\to\pi_1(M) \to\Gamma \to G\to 1. \] It can be shown that the order of torsion elements of \(\Gamma\) is equal to three. On the other hand, the equivariant signature operator \(D_\Gamma\) on \(\widetilde M\) defines an element \([D_\Gamma]\in K_*^\Gamma (\underline {E\Gamma})\). The number \(tr(\text{Ind}_\Gamma (D_\Gamma))\) is calculated by index theory and shown to be contained in \({1\over 9}\mathbb{Z}\) but not in \({1\over 3}\mathbb{Z}\).